Beagle Interlude, Too!
by Orrymain
Summary: Beagles and House Rules


Beagle Interlude, Too!  
  
Author: Orrymain  
  
Author Email: marciastudley@comcast.net (Feedback welcome)  
  
Author Website: http://orrymain.raikiri.net/fanfichome.html   
  
Category: Slash, H/C of the Spoiled Puppy Kind, Romance, Established Relationship   
  
Pairing: Jack/Daniel .... and it's all J/D   
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Season: 7 - April 6, 2004  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
Size: 15kb, short story  
  
Written: October 17,19,27,29, 2003   
  
Archive: Area52, Comfort Zone, FanFiction.Net, Cartouche, AlphaGate, TheBoy  
  
Disclaimer: Usual disclaimers -- not mine, wish they were, especially Daniel, and Jack, too, but they aren't. This was a whim; all in fun. I don't have anything to do with them legally!  
  
Summary: Beagles and House Rules  
  
Notes: Thanks to Starshadow and Michele for the betas!  
  
Beagle Interlude, Too  
  
by Orrymain  
  
"Here you go, Fly Boy," Daniel said, throwing the football sharply towards the older man.   
  
Jack moved into position, but slipped on the grass as he took possession of the football, sliding to the ground, landing flat on his back, both laughter and a few swear words escaping from his mouth as he fell.  
  
Bijou ran to Jack, and pushed the football off his stomach and then continued to push it with her keen nose.  
  
"Oh, trying to intercept, are ya? Well, too late, Girl."  
  
Bijou playfully growled as Jack reached over, grabbing the football, still prone on the grass. Just then, Katie, who was the littlest of the mama beagle's litter, jumped onto Jack's stomach, her tug toy in her mouth.  
  
"Help, Danny. They are double teaming me," Jack said as Daniel laughed from a few feet away, content to watch the fun take place.  
  
Bijou went back to Jack, jumping on him, pushing Katie down slightly. The mama beagle sat on the silver-haired man as if a conqueror saying "mine."  
  
Jack dropped the football to the ground next to him, and reached around his dominating beagle to grab Katie's pull toy, thus beginning a tug-a-war, prompting Bijou to go after the football and leave her puppy and Jack to their war game.  
  
Katie was protectively holding her toy, growling with the tugs and pulls, and was doing amazingly well for a little dog.  
  
"No way am I going to be bested by a puppy ... grrrrrr backatcha," Jack grunted.  
  
Katie continued to wag her tail and started to walk backwards, pulling a mostly unresisting Jack with her.  
  
Jack sat up and leaned forward, "Okay you, learn the hard way," and just as Katie was in a strengthen backwards pull, Jack simply let go of the toy, causing Katie to practically fly in reverse, ending up sitting on her behind, looking very confused.  
  
"Jack!" Daniel exclaimed sternly, not very happy with his soul mate at the moment.  
  
"Told you," Jack said to Katie, "don't mess with the master."  
  
Katie ran over to Daniel, who had moved to sit on the patio deck steps as he had watched the tug-a-war. Katie batted her sad puppy eyes at the younger man, who scooped her up, holding her protectively as he spoke softly, "It's okay, Sweetie. I'll protect you from the bad Colonel. He's just an overgrown grizzly bear who hates to lose."  
  
Jack laughed, "Geez, Daniel, we're only playing."  
  
Jack found Bijou's red ball and threw it across the yard. Bijou quickly left the football behind, and gave chase. Katie, meanwhile, continued to be sulky, seeking comfort in Daniel's care.  
  
The older man walked over and sat next to Daniel on the steps. When Bijou approached with the ball, Jack took it and threw it to the farthest point of the yard, and Bijou barked once as she followed to happily retrieve it.  
  
Jack turned to pet Katie, who growled softly.  
  
"Oh, come on, Katie, don't be a sore loser."  
  
"Leave her alone Jack," Daniel said as Katie sank further into his caress.  
  
"Daniel, we were just playing, and now she's pouting. It was just play ... right?"  
  
Daniel hesitated, knowing Jack was essentially right, but Katie was acting so ... well, Daniel wasn't sure, but she had sought his protection, and he felt an obligation to keep her safe.  
  
Jack leaned over and kissed Daniel on the cheek.  
  
"Danny, consider this your first lesson in Children 101. Trust me, okay?"  
  
"What are you going to do?"  
  
"Play with our girls."  
  
"But Katie ..."  
  
"Katie is sulking. I love them, Danny. You know that."  
  
Daniel couldn't deny that, so when Jack stood and moved to take Katie from his arms, Daniel let him.  
  
"Okay, Miss Pouty Puppy. You are definitely learning this from Danny. He has this down pat."  
  
"Jaaaack."  
  
"Don't interrupt, Daniel."  
  
"As I was saying ... I don't blame you. After all, we already knew you took after Daniel when you started digging like he does all the time, which is why you have your own private play yard to dig in. Now, I did not cheat. I was letting you win. Okay, okay. I could have done it differently, but spilled milk and all of that. Let's try it again."  
  
Jack sat back on the grass, grabbed the pull toy, and teased Katie with it, but she stood indignantly and watched Jack swish it back and forth.  
  
"Come on Katie, give me a break," Jack whispered, "Danny is gonna make me sleep out here with you and Bij tonight if you don't forgive me. You don't want Danny and I to be separated, do you?"  
  
Jack sighed as the puppy hadn't moved, and tried again.  
  
"Help me out here. Please? Oh, for ... Come on, Girl. I love him. I'll ... miss him when he sends me to your doghouse. I'll be ... cold and lonely."  
  
Katie sat for a moment, as if thinking it over, and then wagged her tail, grabbing one end of the pull toy and beginning a new round of tug-a-war with Jack.   
  
Katie growled and Jack groaned as they played, Katie moving towards Jack and then away from him several times, until at last, Jack's fingers gave way, and Katie pranced around victorious, running her victory lap, pull toy in mouth.  
  
Bijou had returned to Daniel's side, watching the game. When it was done, Daniel tossed her ball and she went scurrying after it. Then, she and Katie began to play and romp together.  
  
Jack walked over to Daniel, sitting next to him, putting his arm around his waist as they watched their girls from the patio steps.  
  
"Danny, when we adopt, kids being kids, they're going to try the old Divide and Conquer game, just like Katie did just now."  
  
"Divide and conquer?"  
  
"Yeah, pitting you and I against each other. We have to be careful about that, make sure we're united. We can't let them get their way by playing games, the old 'but he said it was okay' thing."  
  
"Oh, I ... didn't think about that."  
  
"They can't hear 'no' from me and go running to you, or vice versa. You know, Charlie was great at that for a while. He played Sara and I like a finely tuned violin, until we finally figured out what he was doing, and that he was doing it intentionally.  
  
"We realized we were hurting him by letting him get away with it, too. It's not easy to say 'no' all the time. Being tough, disciplining the child who is a part of you, watching them be sad or upset, because you love them with every fiber of your being ... but ... you have to be firm. We have to be firm, Danny, to teach them responsibility and honor."  
  
Daniel stared out towards the fence, watching the girls, except he wasn't really focused on them. He had gone far away, Jack sensed.  
  
"Love, you're going to make a great father, and we're going to be super parents. Stop worrying."  
  
"What makes you think I was worrying?"  
  
"Because I love you and I know you," Jack said, placing a kiss at Daniel's temple as he tugged him close.  
  
"I've never had to think about stuff like this before."  
  
"The girls are good practice. Danny, don't over think this. Most parents begin as novices, you know! I was mostly being silly with Katie, and she was, too. The premise is the same, though. She was sulking a little, which she's done before. The difference was that this time, you started to fuel it, acting like she needed to be protected, and she was taking advantage of that ... just like a human child would do."  
  
"You're right, Jack. I'm sorry."  
  
"Nothing to be sorry for, Danny. Like I said, good training."  
  
"We'll need rules, I guess."  
  
"Oh yeah, lots of those."  
  
"Jack ... I ...," Daniel sighed, "I love you."  
  
"I know that. I also know that isn't what you were going to say. Come on, Love. If we're going to be parents, we have to be honest with each other about things ... which we always are anyway ... right?"  
  
Daniel smiled and nodded, "I don't want you doing stuff like with the girls ... any of them. I didn't like it, Jack, even though I know you were playing. It's just ... she could have gotten hurt and ... and Jack, she was trusting you ... I mean, like I do ... with every ounce of her being," Daniel looked out towards Katie who was having a great time with her mom.  
  
"Okay, Rule #1 ... careful with the rough-housing, which doesn't mean none, but common sense ... and ... and I'll never make them sorry that trust me, Danny. I'll protect them like I do you. Never ... I swear ... I'll never do anything to make you regret trusting me the way you do."  
  
Jack reached over, brushing his thumb across Daniel's lips. Daniel kissed the thumb, and then leaned over to kiss the man who was his heart.  
  
"I know that. I really do. It's just ... she's so tiny."  
  
"And I'm a big grizzly. Message received. Better judgment next time, and that's a promise. So ... no rough housing ... and ...?  
  
"... And especially not just so you can win," Daniel looked, his eyes full of warning.  
  
"Okay Love ... Dad is prepared to lose all the battles."  
  
"No, that's not what I meant either. It's not that you can't ... I mean ... you're more athletic than I am ... it's just ..."  
  
Jack chuckled, "I know what you mean. You don't want our girls getting hurt because I decide to be a wise acre."  
  
"Yes ... that's it," Daniel laughed.  
  
"You got it," Jack said leaning in for a quick kiss.  
  
"Rule #2 ... no playing Dad against ... Pop," Daniel teased.  
  
"Pop? I don't think so, Dannyboy, and who says you get to be 'Dad'?"  
  
"Because you love me," the younger man smirked, knowing Jack couldn't deny him anything.  
  
"No fair."  
  
"But it's the truth."  
  
Jack groaned and smiled at the same time, admitting, "I do most definitely love you, Dr. Jackson-O'Neill."  
  
Daniel smiled, leaning over for a kiss, and then acquiescing slightly, "Actually, I think you should be Dad, and I'll be Daddy."  
  
"Oh? Interesting. Why?"  
  
"Because we both know that I'm the one they are going to ... run to for safety. I'm the one they're going to try and take advantage of, so we might as well face it, and stick the appropriate name to it."  
  
"You do have other choices ... Pa!"  
  
Daniel laughed and shook his head, "Papa."  
  
"Pops."  
  
"Pappy!"  
  
"Father."  
  
"Sir!"  
  
Both laughed, knowing they were military enough already.  
  
"You be Dad, Jack. I'll be Daddy."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure, Babe. Jack, what did Charlie call you?"  
  
"Dad usually, but sometimes in those ... you know, those scary moments, or tender father/son times ... then I was Daddy, especially when he was 4 and 5, even 6."  
  
"You can be Daddy if you want, Jack," Daniel said with sincerity and loads of love in his voice and eyes.  
  
"No Love, I think you're the perfect fit for that name. Let's leave it how we decided."  
  
A few minutes later, Daniel took their discussion a different direction.  
  
"Jack, do you think the girls will be jealous of ... the girls? I mean, oh geez, Jack, I'm so used to calling the dogs our children. I'm not sure I can stop that."  
  
"Why try? It'll be fine. Remember what I said?"  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Stop worrying!"  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Danny, we're not there yet, but when we do get there, the girls, the beagles, will love our human girls and vice versa. The trick is to love them all, and make sure each knows how precious they are to us. Trust me, Love."  
  
"I always do, Jack," Daniel answered honestly as they kissed again, their hands now entwined.  
  
"Angel, why don't we ...," Jack nodded towards the house.  
  
"Yes, why don't we ...," Daniel smiled.  
  
Bijou and Katie ran inside the house, moving speedily ahead of the couple, stopping at the front door, tails wagging, big smiles of expectation on their faces as they looked at Jack and Daniel.  
  
"Jack."  
  
The older man sighed.  
  
"Danny, if we can't resist two dogs, our human children are going to be able to get away with murder."  
  
"But Jack ..."  
  
"Daniel ... be strong."  
  
Bijou and Katie laid down in front of the door, looking dejected.  
  
"They'll understand. They're spoiled enough," Jack said, leaning in for a kiss, his arms wrapping around Daniel's waist, pulling the younger man's shirt from out of his pants where it had been neatly tucked.   
  
Daniel returned the passionate kiss, his tongue eagerly dancing with Jack's, his fingers gliding through the fine strands of Jack's hair at the base of the older man's neck.  
  
Jack took a deep breath as he looked into Daniel's eyes just a minute later.  
  
"You knew I'd cave, didn't you?"  
  
Daniel smiled knowingly as he nodded, his smile turning into a big grin, "I love you, Jack."  
  
"It's bad enough that you have me wrapped around your little finger," Jack said as he walked over to get the dog's harnesses, "but the girls, too. Geez, and I'm supposed to be an intimidating military officer."  
  
Daniel laughed, taking Bijou's harness to put it on her as Jack put on Katie's, both dogs wildly wagging their tails in anticipation of their family outing.  
  
"Okay, let's go," Jack said, adding, "Here, Daddy, you can take Pouty Puppy, Jr., and I'll take Mom."  
  
"Thanks Dad," Daniel laughed, opting to let the jab go by the wayside, moderately disappointing Jack, which was the fun of letting the jab go by without a retaliatory volley.  
  
Daniel opened the front door, but Jack stopped before walking through. The beagles watched as Jack suddenly kissed Daniel again. The kiss was, by movie definitions, larger than life, big, powerful, all-consuming, and full of passion.  
  
"It's a good life, Danny," Jack said as he faced his lover after the kiss.  
  
"It's the best life, Jack," Daniel responded, both men happy, content, and peaceful, as they walked out the door with their children into the sunshine of the day.  
  
~~Finis - Finished - Done - The End - But is it ever Really?~~ 


End file.
